President Joe Biden has just issued pardons to several of his allies in the final hours of his presidency.
On Monday morning, Biden issued pardons for Dr. Anthony Fauci, former U.S. Army General Mark Milley, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), and other members of the Democrats’ anti-Trump January 6 Committee.
The move comes just hours before President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Fauci, Milley, and Cheney were vicious critics of Trump.
Cheney also played a key role in the Democrats’ efforts to falsely accuse Trump of leading an “insurrection” to block him from running for president in 2024.
Previous reporting indicated that Biden would issue the “preemptive pardons” to stave off any potential criminal charges that might be brought against them during a second Trump administration.
In a Monday morning statement, Biden said:
“The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense.
“Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country.”
Fauci has been criticized for his handling of Covid and his ties to the suspected lab leak origins of the virus.
The former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has also come under fire over comments before Congress about gain-of-function research.
Milley reportedly made secret calls to China at the end of the first Trump administration.
During the calls, Milley promised to warn Gen. Li Zuocheng of the People’s Liberation Army if Trump ordered a preemptive strike on China.
“These are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing,” Biden said.
“Even when individuals have done nothing wrong — and in fact have done the right thing — and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage reputations and finances.”
Biden has previously been criticized for his wide-reaching pardon of his son Hunter.
Some top Democrats even said last year they would oppose preemptive pardons.
“I strongly oppose preemptive pardons,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said last month.
“First of all, it’s in some ways going to be perceived as an implicit acknowledgment of guilt.
“And people should know that walking into a courtroom and making charges is far from proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Many users on X expressed outrage over the pardons.
Women’s rights advocate Riley Gaines accused Fauci of murder as she raged against his pardon.
“Anthony Fauci was pardoned by Joe Biden because he’s guilty of murder,” Gaines posted.
“That’s it. That’s the tweet.”
“Congress should fully investigate Anthony Fauci,” a conservative X account wrote.
“And then states should criminally prosecute Anthony Fauci for murder.”
Another pro-MAGA account with 3.4 million followers wrote:
“Biden’s pardon of Fauci is his worst one yet.
“He deserves prison for life.”
In a post on X, podcaster Eric Matheny commented:
“Fauci is the most prolific American serial killer of the 21st Century.
“He’s not a hero nor a respected man of science.
“He funded the creation of Covid, knew about its origins in a lab, and lied to the American people.
“Of course, Biden pardons him,” he concluded.
Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) slammed all of Biden’s final pardons, writing in a post to X:
“Joe Biden just issued preemptive pardons for Mark Milley, Anthony Fauci, and Members of Congress and staff of the sham J6 Committee.
“In its final hours, the most CORRUPT Administration in American history is covering up Democrats’ trail of criminal activity,” he continued.
“Yet we will never forget what they did to our country.”
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